Are you ready for some football??

I grew up in a football-loving family. My parents were/are big Giants fans, and I remember on many occasions (big games, playoffs, etc), my parents would put an old 13" TV on a stool in the middle of the barn so they could keep up with the game while they milked and finished barn chores. (Seriously, did I actually grow up in that life, or am I imagining my childhood???) The start of football season also reminds me of back to school and the onset of fall, on of my favorite times of the year.

After getting married, the Husband and I spent many Sunday afternoons lounging around with football on in the background (and him obsessively checking his Fantasy Football scores!), cooking giant Sunday dinners, and enjoying the quiet of the day. I vividly remember Husband sitting on "his" couch, me sitting on "my" couch with my Contracts book in my hand, a cup of cocoa on the table, and football on in the background. Those memories are so comforting for me when I question whether Husband and I were ever truly happy.

I have only been to one NFL game, and it was a miserable experience. I was about 7 weeks pregnant and SO sick (we didn't know yet that we were having twins, so we didn't yet have an explanation for why I was so extremely sick). The game began at 1pm, but we were literally in the parking lot by 9am. The game was one of the first of the year, so the weather was very hot and sunny, which just added to the nausea. Husband packed a giant tailgating party lunch for us, and was able to enjoy his cooking and several cocktails -- and I sat in a lawn chair and prayed that I wouldn't have to puke in a porta-potty. When we finally got inside for the game, a very large man was seated directly next to me. Not only did he need his seat, he also needed a good portion of my seat. He was sweaty and had a foul mouth and after 2 minutes of listening to him yell about how fat the cheerleaders were, I told him that I thought he was being incredibly disrespectful, and that I would appreciate him keeping his nasty comments to himself. That quieted him down for a while. However, a stadium of drunk people + 1 sick pregnant lady sitting in the sun = bad combination. We left early, I think the Jets were getting beaten very badly, anyway.

Football was on in the background all day today, and I wonder if the game will be a part of the boys' memories of their childhood. The boys and I spent 3 hours cleaning the basement, and then after a quick shower, all took a nap with a game on in the background. We played with blocks with the game on in the background. We read stories and got ready for bed with the game on in the background. For a family who doesn't watch much TV (well, the boys, anyway!), it was a very relaxing day!